Heart to Heart Wires Canadian Turf

Terry Hamilton's Canadian champion Heart to Heart broke sharply and never looked back in the $150,000 Canadian Turf Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park March 4, taking the race in front-running fashion for a second year in a row. 

Over the one-mile test on the firm turf, the 6-year-old son of English Channel   jumped out for the early lead, with Vision Perfect and Conquest Panthera chasing in second and third. The 6-5 favorite lead the nine horse field through a half mile in fractions of :22.94 and :46.25. 

Under jockey Julien Leparoux, Heart to Heart began to make a move around the far turn as six furlongs went in 1:09.57. Leparoux managed to keep his mount to the inside to save ground entering the stretch, where he ran clear and crossed the wire in 1:32.63 for trainer Brian Lynch. 

Bondurant and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. closed late for second, three-quarters of a length behind the winner. Conquest Panthera finished third, another three-quarters of a length back. Projected and Giant Run round out the top five. 

"Today it didn't look like there was too much speed in the race, so I thought I would be on the lead a little bit easier, actually," Leparoux said after his fourth win on the day's Gulfstream card. "They put a little bit of pressure on me, which they had to do. The thing today was when I got to the quarter pole and asked him, he really kicked at the end. Last time he didn't really do it and today he was back to himself. He ran a big race.

 

"He's a horse you kind of leave him alone. He likes to run free, so when he breaks good and he's on the lead, I just leave him alone. He relaxed by himself on the backside. Usually when you get on him at the quarter pole he just levels off and kicks very nice at the end."

Heart to Heart returned $4.40, $3, and $2.40 across the board. Bondurant was worth $7 and $4, while Conquest Panthera paid $4.20. 

"This is the pride and joy of our barn. I've been preaching all week that he's never trained better," Lynch said of the 2014 Canadian champion 3-year-old colt.

"I always say he runs the turns like a rat in a barrel," he added. "I think they underestimate how much he gets away from them when he runs the turn, and I think that was the case today. There's no one who fits him better. Julien has a lot of confidence in him and he has a lot of confidence in Julien."

Heart to Heart entered off a close fourth in the Ft. Lauderdale Stakes (G2T) in January. Last year he won three graded stakes—the Knickerbocker Stakes (G3T), the Canadian Turf, and the Ft. Lauderdale—and ran second in the grade 1 Maker's 46 Mile Stakes. He has earned more than $1 million with 12 wins in 27 career starts. 

Bred in Ontario by Red Hawk Ranch, the bay horse is out of the winning Silver Deputy mare Ask the Question. He was purchased by his current owner for $25,348 from Ballycroy Training Centre at the 2012 Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society's September yearling sale.